My Start menu just disappeared!

[M Skabialka]

I am sitting at my WINXP machine and suddenly noticed that the entire bottom
task bar is gone. It isn't hiding, it's gone, so no Start button, quick
launch bar, clock, or anything that goes between. I have half a dozen apps
open so I can Alt-tab between them but can't start any other because I have
no Start button. The only way to get out will be CTRL-LT-DEL, shutdown and
restart.

However, is there a file I can run from an explorer window, which I have
open, or from the task manager, which I can bring up, which will restore my
start menu without rebooting? This used to happen with the office toolbar
and I created an icon to bring it back from the quick launch bar.

Thanks,
Mich

 

[M Skabialka]

This button seems to have stopped working also! e.g if I press that and E,
I don't get Explorer.
I go to Control Panel under My Computer in Explorer, but the Task Bar and
Start Menu Items icon or hyperlink will not respond, though other icons
will. Looks like rebooting is in order, though it would be nice to know a
shortcut out of this!

Mich